Varying Shades of Emotion
by MewSara100
Summary: Queen Chocolat, having brought peace to the Magical world, must now reembark on an adventure with allies, both old and fairly new, to save the Human World from left over Noir. It's back to being humans and dealing with a whole new kind of love. PixCh RxR


**I do NOT own Sugar Sugar Rune. But whoever does, because I can't remember the creator/company name, I just want to say that you/they are a genius and it was perfectly crafted.**

** Just a note though: If you've never read the manga or watched up until the last episode (51) then you might want to. I make references to the manga and the last part of the anime here.**

"W-Waffle-Sama, you mustn't rush into the Royal Court without permission! Queen Chocolat, forgive Waffle-Sama-s intrusion please. She's just a child." A woman begged humbly, rushing toward the young girl who had found her way past the palace guard. Seemingly very old, the woman held life behind her eyes, sharpened with age and wisdom. Dark grey hair tied back into a bun, spectacles perched neatly atop her abnormally long nose, she bowed and hurriedly began smoothing her crisp white apron with her hands.

"Nana, it's been so long since I got to see you and Waffle! How have you both been doing?" a voice overflowing with happiness floated through the room as Queen Chocolat's eyes lit up, their green surfaces sparking in joy. "You can stand up. No worries, guys." She assured, nodding her ok to the head guard, Glacier, before embracing her dear friends.

"We've been doing well, Chocolat-Chan. It's nearly been a year and a half since you first became the Magical World's official queen. How are you fairing, leading the Magical World? Is it fun?" Waffle, always carrying a light-hearted aura wherever she went, returned Chocolat's embrace.

"Being queen is alright, I guess." She replied truthfully. "I've had to do a lot of studying, but I was allowed to have Vanilla be my second in command and personal advisor. Pierre drops by a lot when he's not busy with mounds of studying of his own and helping out the towns. Robin visits every day he doesn't perform in the human world, and mama and Candy come and say hi when they're not on trips together out to the less populated parts of the Magical world. It seems like everyone's busy lately, with the mingling of Orges and Les Royaume going so well. It looks like more people wanted unity than we thought. Mama reported a countless number of Filtered Noir hearts this week alone. After that people began getting along."

"Wahh~ Chocolate-Chan is so cool! Where's Houx-Sama and Saule-Kun? Aren't they your knights, Chocolate-Chan?" she asked innocently, desperately searching the main room for her beloved Houx.

The innocent curiosity Waffle often showed, whether she knew it or not, made Chocolat smile as she watched from the throne, legs crossed like a pretzel with her elbows on her knees.

She, after the first few months of wearing a floor length dress, had decided she preferred her usually clothes over elegant gowns. Though she still wore the crown and always carried her wand, she'd become comfortable in a thin black dress with puffy short sleeves with a hem that ended at her knees, her usual black and white stripped stockings and black boots covering anything else, as did her wrist length black gloves. Aside from the crown, the royal Heart Bracelet, and her wand, the only other adornment she wore was a black chocker, a small sea-green gem in dead center with a pair of small matching earrings.

"They're around here somewhere." She replied, watching her small friend run low on energy from her previous searching. "I'm sure he'll be able to play, if he ever decides to show up." She laughed, glancing upward behind a nearby pillar. "Isn't that right, Houx?" turning towards the pillar on her other side, she continued. "You too, Saule, I see you there."

"Chocolat-Chan~ why'd you give us away?" Saule groaned childishly, floating down beside Houx, who stood before Chocolat with a broad grin on his face.

"A queen has to have sharp eyes and good humor; right, Queen Chocolat?" he laughed easily, leaning against the side of the throne, Saule on the other side.

"Yup, but a queen has to be ready to wup some butts too!" she replied energetically, tossing her hands into the air in agreement.

"Waffle-Sama, we have to get moving. Your father doesn't want you wandering about in the palace bothering Queen Chocolat all the time. Besides, it's time to start you studying once again." Nana interrupted, tapping the young girl on her shoulder.

"Fine… But I'll come back soon, Chocolat-Chan! I promise!" she called back over her shoulder, waving as she, Nana, and her familiar: Bii, a flying squirrel, disappeared through the large double doors, their footfalls becoming softer and softer.

"It sure is quiet today with the Senate not around. The guards are all on their usual patrol, so they have no time to socialize, and it's like everyone else is busy… Where's Vanilla been? She's usually busy baking, but this morning she said she'd be done early. Wonder what's up? I haven't even seen Duke anywhere." Houx muttered lightly, leaning against the throne as he stared off into space.

"Chocolat-Chan, sorry I'm late!"

"Vanilla!" leaping from the throne, Chocolate dashed toward her best friend, meeting her halfway in a tight embrace. "Where've you been all day?" she asked worriedly, never easing from the hug. "I got worried something happened."

"Chocolat-Chan, you're worrying too much. I thought that was my job, silly." She laughed happily, returning the hug with a reassuring smile. "I had my hands full with baking all day in the kitchen, so I accidentally lost track of time." Breaking from the hug, she glanced down happily, digging through a small pouch attached to her belt, only to come back up with something in the palm of her blue gloved hand.

"Vanilla, you're the best!" Chocolat declared in excitement, large emerald eyes falling on the tiny black box, its top flipped open to reveal what appeared to be small white candies in the shape of bones. Bone Candy, a delicious treat in the Magical World, was the duo's favorite snack. Vanilla, being the amazing chef she always was, would always whip up a batch for them to share with tea or juice, laughing and joking like they always did.

…

Now comfortably settled into the palace garden for tea and a snack, the four mages; Chocolate, Vanilla, Houx, and Saule, were laughing and having fun together, as if being queen had never burdened any of them with formalities. They four were the best of friends, so it was only natural that they weren't formal or uppity with each other. They were free to laugh and play, that is, when the real work was through.

Having surpassed all expectations, Chocolate, with the aid of Vanilla, had become the Magical World's most beloved queen. Fierce and inspiring, but at the same time calm and understanding, Chocolat's words and personality lit the hearts of the Magical World, bringing together both Orge and Mage alike, though the formal classifications had been dropped and forgotten months ago, and everyone referred to anyone else by their names and as friends. Noir hearts, to everyone now, were dangerous and poisonous and lead to instant death upon contact. That is, because Chocolat, whose abilities included purifying hearts, had worked endlessly to rid the Magical World's people of the dangerous poison, as her mother did also with her own Filter abilities.

Duke and Blanca, settled upon the table's white cloth surface, were eating away at their own bone candies, never hesitating to stop and argue, though it was clear the two were actually very close friends. Duke, Chocolat's familiar, with emerald eyes and thick horizontal red and black stripes encircling his body, was respectively called a frog, though his past was a bit more confusing to explain. From what Chocolat could assume, he'd once been a wizard, very powerful indeed. She'd also heard him in reference with a man named 'Pepper', who was supposedly her uncle, according to her mother's diary. So, she assumed, that was his real name, though he'd come to prefer being a frog and sticking with 'Duke'.

Blanca, on the other hand, a tiny white mouse with big dark pink eyes and powder pink inside her ears, wore what appeared to be a tiny yellow bow on her tail, a matching boa scarf around her neck. On occasion, usually while out with Vanilla, Blanca will hold a small blue umbrella, spotted with white stars. Often haughty and stubborn, she doesn't get along with Duke, though the two are close friends. Preferring tea and gowns to rowdy dancing and foolishness, she is Vanilla's familiar. At one point in time it is guessed that she maybe owned a flower shop of some kind, though she herself never seemed to reminisce over it. That had been back when she too had been able to use her full magic as a witch.

"Your Majesty, a word?" off to the side, overseeing the gathering, was Glacier and a group of around four other guards, eyes narrow with worry. "It's important."

"You can say whatever it is right here, can't you, Glacier? What's wrong?" she asked worriedly, staring up at the man, hand still partially raised, a Bone Candy between her fingers.

Glancing side to side, as if to assure himself it was safe to discuss with anyone but the queen, Glacier cleared his throat and began to speak in his monotonous voice, laced with worry. "It seems there's been a rise in Noir energy in the human world. The witches and wizards there have reported that a dark force is rising up too often, targeting human children your age. We did not want to do this at first, though now we see that we must, because your mother cannot. We hope to send you, Vanilla, and your knights back to the human world to purify the Noir Hearts. You will be accompanied by Vanilla, your familiars, Robin, and Pierre, so as to see you do not come into contact with anything too terribly dangerous. We cannot afford to lose our queen. You will depart through the Moon Door tomorrow at the earliest."

"But, Glacier-San, we already purified Glace's Noir heart. What other dangerous Noir is there?" Vanilla piped up shyly, facing the man with worry in her voice.

"I'm afraid that the left over Noir from the Orge's sky palace has fallen upon the earth, somehow culminating in and around your school and town. I'm afraid we'll have to send you back to your home in the human world so that you may begin to attend school once more, although now you will be a grade level above what you were last year. It is the second half of the year, so you are able to be transferred in easily, with the excuse that you were studying abroad with Robin, your guardian, and that now you are back." He explained levelly, bowing before exiting the garden, the other guards returning to their positions around the edges of the garden.

"This'll be great! It's been so long since I was back! I can't wait to see everyone again! And you _and_ Pierre are going to be with me this time, so it's even better!" Chocolat cheered happily, tossing the Bone Candy into her mouth.

"I can't wait! I'm excited as well." Vanilla added in her soft way, smiling happily as she sipped her tea, nibbling lightly on a candy.

"I have to put up with HIM again? Oh well, I guess I'll have to for Vanilla-Chama's sake." Blanca sighed, crossing her arms in mock annoyance. In reality she just didn't want anyone to know she was happy about being able to go back.

"You know you'd miss me if I kicked the bucket, Blanca." Duke laughed, hopping onto Chocolat's shoulder to avoid being hit by Blanca. "So we'll pack tonight and leave tomorrow afternoon from the Moon Door. This sounds like fun!"

"Yeah, and I'll get to see Pierre." Blushing furiously, Chocolat remembered the heart within her. Pierre's heart…

It was custom, in the Magical World, that when two people fell in love, they would hold the other's heart within themselves as a sign of true love. The couple would be together forever. In other words, it was like marriage in the Magical World.

During the final battle against Glace and the power of Noir, Chocolat had saved Pierre from the Noir heart that had been implanted during his childhood, having frozen his real heart. It had been Chocolat that had saved him and purified that Noir into a White or Innocent heart when she'd taken it. During that time she'd swapped her own heart for his, both pink with sweet love. By then his memories had unfrozen, and he remembered that he'd often played with Chocolat as a child before a band of Orges stole him away and froze his memories, implanting the heart.

Because Chocolat had to extract Glace's heart, the black heart that was within Pierre, it also worked to purify Glace, though no one really knew what happened to him afterwards. However, it seemed the excess Noir energy from the Orge's floating castle had filtered through before she'd purified the Magical World, landing itself atop the town she had lived in during the Queen Candidate Examination Period with Vanilla.

It was now her job to restore the school and town to peacefulness, as it had once been. However, she didn't quite know how long that would take, although she was definitely happy to be going back.

…

It just so happened, however, that, as she reminisced over the past and what had happened with Pierre, the man himself was lost in his own thoughts, coincidentally the same, Chocolat's pink heart throbbing steadily inside him.

**God Bless.**


End file.
